Authorities say William Graham Oliver knew the family and was at the home hours before the bodies were found.
MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile County investigators narrowed a violent Wilmer homicide case to one suspect after tracing a short timeline between a Sunday evening visit and a Monday morning discovery, Sheriff Paul Burch said.
William Graham Oliver, 54, is charged with eight counts of capital murder in the deaths of Lisa Gail Fields, 46, Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, and Luker’s unborn child. The charges followed an investigation that began with a theory that more than one person may have taken part because the victims were bound and killed in separate rooms. Burch later said investigators believe Oliver acted alone.
Oliver’s name entered the public account of the case on April 28, when deputies arrested him after serving a search warrant at his Wilmer home. Burch said Oliver had been at the victims’ house around 7:30 p.m. April 19. Hours later, at about 2:30 a.m. April 20, a family member went to the house after Luker’s partner, who was offshore, became alarmed by activity linked to her phone and could not reach her. The family member found the three victims dead. Burch said the timeline between those points was “very, very tight” and that investigators had “very solid circumstantial evidence.”
The physical evidence described by authorities shows why the case was first treated as unusually complex. Fields, Luker and Thomas were found in different rooms with their hands tied behind their backs. Investigators said zip ties or flex cuffs were used. Fields had been stabbed and had her throat cut. Luker had been shot. Thomas had a fatal cut to his throat. An 18-month-old child, Luker’s daughter, was found unharmed in the home. Burch said the house was left in disarray. He said investigators believe Oliver was looking for something inside the home, but the sheriff declined to say what it was.
That withheld detail is now one of the central unknowns. Burch said investigators know what Oliver was allegedly trying to find and believe they know his motive. He said those facts would not be released because the case is headed to court. The sheriff’s comments suggest the prosecution may rely not only on physical evidence, but also on proof of why Oliver went to the house. Authorities have not said whether the search of Oliver’s property turned up a weapon, clothing, restraints, stolen property, digital records or other forensic evidence. They have said a vehicle and supporting evidence were recovered.
The capital charges show the legal path prosecutors have chosen. Oliver is accused of killing two or more people, committing murder during a burglary, killing a child younger than 14 and committing murder in the presence of a child. Two of the counts are tied to the death of Luker’s unborn baby, according to local reports. “Anytime there are children involved, it makes it a little tougher and especially an unborn child,” Burch said after the arrest. The sheriff also said Oliver had a criminal history in Mobile County, including property-related arrests, but that the new case appeared to be his first involving violence.
Investigators also shifted their public language after the arrest. Before Oliver was charged, Burch said the use of restraints and the separation of victims made it appear possible that the family had been subdued by more than one person. He did not call it a domestic dispute and said the home’s condition suggested someone had been searching it. After the search warrant and traffic stop, Burch said, “At this point we believe he’s solely responsible for the murders.” No second arrest has been announced. Authorities have not said whether anyone else may have helped before or after the killings.
The case unfolded in a part of Mobile County where distance can make a welfare check feel personal. Wilmer is northwest of Mobile and includes rural roads, homes with open land and neighborhoods where residents may know one another through work rather than street addresses. Oliver lived only a few miles from the crime scene, Burch said. A neighbor told local television that he saw SWAT officers and a sheriff’s vehicle at Oliver’s property and initially thought the search had to involve something else. The neighbor described Oliver as a man who did handyman work and spent time with his children. His reaction underscored the shock that followed the arrest.
For the victims’ relatives, the case is not only about evidence. Fields was remembered as a devoted mother. Luker was remembered as a young mother preparing for another child. Thomas was remembered as a boy who loved games, music and math and was eager to leave elementary school behind. Their obituaries and family statements brought ordinary details into a case defined publicly by the violence inside the home. The surviving toddler, found uninjured, became another focus of grief. Authorities have not said what care arrangements were made for the child after the crime scene was cleared.
The prosecution will have to connect the timeline, motive and physical evidence in court. The defense will have the chance to challenge the circumstantial case Burch described and any evidence recovered from the search. The public record had not shown a trial date or plea as of May 10. Capital cases often move slowly because of forensic testing, expert review and pretrial motions. Prosecutors also must decide how to handle the counts connected to Luker’s unborn child and the allegation that a child was present during the killings.
Currently, Oliver remains accused in the deaths while investigators continue to withhold key details about motive and evidence. The sheriff’s office has said it believes the right man is in custody. The next public milestones are expected in Mobile County court filings and hearings, where the facts kept back from the first news conferences may begin to emerge.
Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.